World Cup News

Midfielder on the prank-fuelled promotion at Bristol Rovers that kickstarted his career, confidence in Nottingham Forest’s survival and modelling for England ‘It was a brand-new car as well,” says Elliot Anderson, grinning as he relives the Gazza-inspired prank that sticks in the memory from his fruitful loan at Bristol Rovers. It is four years since a reserved teenager from Whitley Bay walked into a dressing room of big personalities after signing on January deadline day and turbocharged the club to promotion. His soaring header was the last and decisive goal in an exhilarating 7-0 win on the final day of the League Two season. A lot has happened in Anderson’s world since that incredible climax, when Rovers pipped Northampton to third on goals scored. At the end of that four months, he was well versed in the culture of capers. Fridays meant forfeits and spinning the “wheel of fortune”. Practical jokes were never in short supply and on one occasion, as when Paul Gascoigne famously haunted Gordon Durie with trout, players planted fish in the boot and on the back seats of a teammate’s car. The analysts used training-ground CCTV to present a “Panorama” investigation and find the culprits.

The boys are joined by Bristol Rovers defender Mark Little and former Swan Kurtis March as they discuss starting Swansea’s newest football academy, how Covid has effected their plans and fears of a number of kids losing interest in the game during this period. The lads discuss getting scouted as kids, Mark talks about Glenn Hoddle and Kurtis about Michael Laudrup. The boys discuss scrapping U23’s, getting used to dealing with pushy parents and Mark describes his rough time not getting paid by...